


Crimson Day

by simonxriley



Category: Call of Duty (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-03-20 20:02:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13724973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simonxriley/pseuds/simonxriley
Summary: After Ghost and Roach survived Shepherd's onslaught, they confess their true feelings for one another. Agreeing on leaving this life behind, they decide to buy a house together. Roach adjusts to civilian life easily, while Ghost finds it more difficult and foreign.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just really wanted to write domestic Ghost and Roach. The first chapter is pretty short unfortunately. I also based this fic off of the song Crimson Day by Avenged Sevenfold. I hope you enjoy.

"Well that's one less loose end" Roach bolted upright, chest heaving. Another nightmare. It's been 3 week since Shepherd's betrayal. A sudden pain shot through Roach's stomach, his hand flung over to grasp his bandaged cover torso in hopes of soothing the pain. Once the pain dulled he settle back down into bed. He glanced at the clock to see what time it was.....2:00 am. Great, he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep for a while. He slowly sat back up. Getting out of bed, Roach threw on a shirt and decided to head to the rec-room. 

He noticed the light was on.........someone was up. He opened the door, wondering who else was up. His questioned was answered when he walked in....It's Ghost. Ghost looked up from his book with a scowl on his face, the look automatically softening when he sees Roach. He's not wearing his balaclava. He hasn't since the incident, he didn't care anymore if people saw what he looked liked or not. 

Roach got the brute of the attack, he's lucky he got out of the infirmary as fast as he did. He still had a long way to go before he was fully healed, but he was making progress everyday. Ghost didn't get too hurt. A bullet to the shoulder and some extensive burns to his body.

Roach walked over to Ghost sitting next to him on the couch with a sigh. "You either?"

Ghost put his book down and shook his head. Ever since the incident Ghost seemed to be hell bent on being by Roach's side, the only time he wasn't was when he was in bed.   
Roach knew it was time for him to move on, become a civilian again. He just couldn't leave Ghost, he wanted him to come live with him. Roach found out about his family and Roba when they were both in the infirmary. He could become Ghosts family. Gary turned to face Ghost, a deep sigh leaving him before he got the courage to finally ask him. 

"Ghost?" 

"Yeah?" Ghost turned to look in his direction, his blue eyes piercing through his brown ones. Roach always thought Ghost was attractive, even before he saw him without his balaclava. The way he was built, how he seemed to always have his back out on missions, how easy it is to be around him. He didn't know how truly gorgeous he was until he saw him without the mask. He had dark brown hair, blue eyes. He had some scarring on one side of his face, which didn't take away from his beauty. 

"I've been thinking about retiring......" The words came out as a whisper. It seemed Ghost heard though by the look on his face.

"Are you?" He looked upset and Roach didn't like that. 

"I'm not sure. I....if I do, I'd like you to come with me." He couldn't look Ghost in the eyes, he was too afraid of any rejection he might get. They were always close, since the TF-141 selection up until the Caucasus Mountains. But after the incident, it became something different. Was is pity? Love? or something else. Roach just wanted the man who saved his life over and over again, too stay in his life. Whether as a friend or lover, he didn't care. He looked over to see Ghost staring at him, no facial expression was showing. He didn't think he heard him. 

"You....want me to come with you?" Ghost asked after a while. Roach shook his head, he didn't know what else to do. He already knew this was a shot in the dark. "Why?" 

"Why?" Roach gave him a confused look. It's almost like Ghost didn't believe him. 

"Because I care about you Ghost, and I don't want to leave you alone." Roach's throat started to feel tight, why was he so nervous? He looked at Ghost, hoping to see some reaction.

"Even after everything I did? You would want to share a place with me?" Ghost bit those 2 question out coldly. It made Roach frown. 

"What happened isn't your fault Ghost." Roach heard Ghost scoff, did Ghost really blame himself for what happened that day. 

"I'm not talking about Shepherd." Ghost said quietly.

"Then what do you mea......are you talking about your family?" Ghost didn't say anything, he just nodded. "You had every right to go after the people who hurt you and your family. I don't care that you tortured and killed those men. The Ghost I know is the one who kicked his abusive dad out of the house, so he could take care of his family. And he did. You helped your brother get clean and you were even the best-man at his wedding. And I'm sorry for what happened to them, they didn't deserve it. But don't you think for a moment that I wouldn't want to share a place with you." 

They didn't say anything, they just stared at each other. Then Ghost did something Roach wasn't expecting.....he started to cry. Roach's eyes widen slightly at the scene unfolding before him. He didn't know what to do. He's never seen Ghost this vulnerable before. He brought Ghost into a hug, hoping this would help and not make things worse. 

"It's okay Ghost, I'm here." Roach said in a calming voice. It took a while before Ghost fully calmed down, once he did, he pulled away from Roach to wipe his eyes. 

"Thanks" he mumble. 

"You're welcome!"

"I think I would like that." Ghost said after sometime. Roach looked at him with a smile. This was it, he was agreeing to live with him. The only issue is, they would need to find a new place to live before fully leaving the base. House hunting with Ghost, this should be interesting. 

"You sure?" He didn't want to push his friend into doing something he truly didn't want to do.

"I'm sure. I thinks it's time to move on. And with Soap and Price hunting down Shepherd, the 141 will be disavowed soon." Roach knew he was right. Going after Shepherd would cause a lot of problems.

No one cared at any cost, they wanted that traitor dead. Roach looked around the rec-room, the place where he spent a lot of his time with the people he cared about. It was bittersweet, the 141 has been his home for the past 4 years, a lot of memories have been made here. And he met some of his best friends on this base. He would miss it. "Okay. It's kinda sad isn't it?" 

"Yeah, and it's all being taken away because of some bloody asshole." Roach could hear the anger in his voice. All because of Shepherd, their home was being taken away from them. Roach tried to think on the bright side. He would be sharing a place with Ghost, a man he loves and maybe civilian life would be good for them. It would also come with some problems, he didn't know how long it'll take Ghost to adjust back into civilian life, if at all. He would be there for him though, to help him when he needs it. 

"Yeah." Roach said quietly. They stayed up for a while more before Roach started to yawn. 

"Getting tired?" Roach nodded, unable to form a sentence through another yawn. "Why don't you head back to bed then?" 

"You're not tired?" Roach quirked a brow in his direction. 

"Not really." Roach could tell he was lying. Ghost just didn't want to deal with the endless nightmares. 

"It's the nightmares? Isn't it?" Ghost brought his legs up to his chest and curled in on himself.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ghost just shook his head. Roach wanted to help, he didn't know how and he hated that. "Would it help if I was in the same room?"

Ghost looked up at him. "What do you mean?" 

"I mean..I could be there for you when you have a nightmare. I know you haven't been sleeping well, I can tell by the bags under your eyes. I just want you to be okay Ghost." 

"Thank you......I know I never said it but, I care about you too Roach. I should have said it long ago but I......I was afraid." Roach looked at him in bewilderment. What did he mean by afraid? 

"Why were you afraid?" Even after knowing each other for 4 years, Ghost was still a mystery to him. 

"You were the first person I befriended after I killed Roba. You were the only other person on base I would talk too. I feel like I can tell you anything.....But I was afraid how you would look at me after I told you about my past, before I came here. Care wasn't the right word I used......I love you Gary, you and your messing blonde hair, the way you would argue with Soap about what beer is better and everything about you." 

Roach stared at him with his mouth agape. Did he hear him right? Roach saw Ghost was about to get up to leave. A slight panic arising in him, he grabbed his arm. That made Ghost stop in his tracks.

"I love you too Simon, I have for a while. I didn't tell you cause I wasn't sure how you would react." Ghost stared at him dumbfounded before a smile broke out on his face. A smile he never though he would see on Ghost. A smile of pure happiness. Ghost brought him in for a hug. A proper hug this time. The cards were laid on the table and Roach couldn't be happier.

Roach pulled away from Ghost a little so he could yawn, once again. "Does this mean?" 

His question was answered when Ghost crushed their lips together. Roach let out a small gasp at the initial contact before returning the kiss. The kiss didn't last long as Ghost would have liked. It lasted all of 10 second before Gary was pulling away to yawn. Ghost let out a small laugh

"I think we should head to bed before you fall asleep here." Ghost chuckled and shook his head.

Roach didn't say anything, he got up from the couch and offered his hand. Ghost took the invitation and got up. Now hand in hand they shut off the lights and headed towards Ghost's room. Once inside Roach fell on the bed. Ghost sat down to take off his boots, looking at a sprawled out bug on his bed. Once he stripped out of most of his clothes he turned to Roach. 

"Oi numpty, you gonna get under the covers or what?" Ghost crossed his arms and stared down at him. 

"Fine...fine." Roach moved the covers so they were now covering his body, settling back down under them. He could feel the mattress cave a little once Ghost got under the covers. He felt an arm wrapped around him, carefully pulling him until he could fell Ghost's body next to his. 

"Goodnight Simon." 

"Goodnight Gary"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this is so short. I'm not sure how long it'll be before chapter 3 since I'm focusing on my other story "We're All We've Got" at the moment. Hope you enjoy!

Roach awoke when a pain struck his abdomen. He wondered why he felt something heavy draped over his waist. Then he realized he wasn't alone, and he wasn't in his room. Smiling to himself, he gently moved Ghost's arm a little higher above his healing wound. The gesture, unfortunately waking the man up. 

"What's going on?" He opened an eye and looked at Roach

"Nothing, when you moved, you accidentally hit my wound." 

"Shit....Sorry about that, did I hurt you?" Ghost was now fully awake. Glancing over Roach's body to see if he's done any damage. 

"No, just a slight pain, nothing to worry about." Roach smiled at him. He glanced over to the clock while waiting for Ghost to answer. His eyes widened when he saw it read 8:00am. "We should get up...."

"Why?" Ghost settled back down and raised a brow. 

"Cause it's eight in the morning and we're not the only ones still on the base." 

"Fuck." Ghost leaped outta bed and got dressed. "Why am I rushing? We're both out of commission and we're both retiring." Ghost mumbled to himself. That made Roach laugh. He got up off the bed and stretched. 

"I should get dressed too." Roach headed for the door to go back to his room for a change of clothes. Abruptly stopping at the door. 

"What's wrong?" Ghost gave him a confused look as he pulled on his pants. 

"Check to see if anyone is coming down the hall. I don't need people asking me why I'm in here." 

"Right...hold on." Ghost went to his door, opening it and peaked his head out. "Clear." 

"Okay.....uh should I meet you in the rec-room? or?" 

"Yeah, that sounds good.....but you're not leaving without this." Ghost crushed their lips together. Roach hummed into it, wishing it would last longer. Ghost pulled away and smiled at the younger man. "Are you just gonna stand there smiling or are you gonna get dressed? ya git." 

"I'm going, I'm going" Roach said with a wave of his hand. He left Ghost's room and went to his. He put on a pair of jeans and a loose fitting t-shirt. Sitting down to lazily tie his boots, he started to smile to himself. He never though he would confess his true feelings for the man or that Ghost would feel the same. Now they're both retiring and moving in together, could it get anymore sappy? Once he was done 'tying' his boots, he went to the rec-room. 

xXx

Opening the door he spotted Ghost in his usual spot. He sat down in front of him, looking at the coffee cup already on the table. 

"You didn't need to do that." said Roach, gesturing to the cup. 

"I wanted too." Ghost stated simply. 

Roach took a sip of his coffee and it was exactly how he liked it. Apparently Ghost did pay attention. 

"Won't people start to wonder why you're getting me coffee?" Roach asked while taking another sip if his coffee. 

Ghost looked up from the newspaper he was reading and looked at Roach. His blue eyes piercing into his brown ones. "Hmm probably. Let them. It's not like we'll see them again after Soap and Price are done." Ghost exclaimed. 

Roach looked down at his half empty cup. Ghost noticed Roach's sullen state and grabbed on of his hands. This snapped Roach out of it. 

"Look...Bug, I know how much this place means to you and how much you're gonna miss it, maybe you can get a job at the S.A.S training grounds in Crendenhill." 

"Yeah. Maybe. How come you're not that upset?" Did Ghost not like it here? or was he just hiding his feelings?

"Who say I'm not. This place was home. Most of the people here have families to go back too. I don't." Roach was slightly taken aback by how forthcoming Ghost was. He was never the one to open up about his emotions, at least until now that is. 

"I could be your family." Ghost looked up from the cup in his hands and gave him a confused look. 

"What do you mean?" Roach shook his head in disbelief. Sometimes Ghost could be very dense. That or he was just playing and wants to know what people's motives were. 

"I'm saying, since I know you don't have a family. That I could be. Family doesn't end with blood Simon." Roach stated simply. Ghost didn't say anything, he just stared at his hands. Roach knew he was contemplating his words. It was better not to say anything. 

"I think I can live with that." mumbled Ghost. 

Roach smiled. He thought about what Ghost said about getting a job in Crendenhill. What would they do for jobs. Roach could get a normal job and Ghost could work for the S.A.S. Roach could see a normal job wouldn't suit Ghost, unless he was a bouncer in a bar. During Roach's brainstorming, he had that imaginary light bulb go off in that head of his. "Do you want to live in Hereford?" 

"I don't mind. Do you?" 

"No, not at all. I was thinking we can buy a house in Hereford. You could work at the training grounds and I could get a regular job or work there as well. What do you think?" Roach started to get all giddy. He was excited for the future and what it holds for him and Ghost. 

"Yeah. It sounds fine. You don't want to stay in the states?" 

"No. I think a new place would be better. New memories. It would be like starting over."

"Now that you've mentioned it. That sounds like a brilliant idea." Roach smiled. He was glad Ghost was okay with this idea of his. 

"We still need to pick a place to live. That's better said than done since no one here has a laptop." Roach sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

"Shite. Do you have any other ideas in that brain of yours Gary?" 

"One." Roach stated. 

"And?" 

"We could live at my place until we find somewhere to live in Hereford? I have some money saved up so we wouldn't have to find a job before we moved." Ghost nodded. It was a good idea as any. "Uh. I live in a one bedroom apartment by the way." 

He didn't know if Ghost would be okay with that. Yes they did share a bed last night, but they just got together. He wasn't sure how fast Ghost wanted to take this. He could sleep on the couch if he wanted. "That's fine. Did you forget we slept in the same bed last night?"

"I know that. I'm just making sure you're okay with it. And I'm also okay if you want to sleep on the couch instead of the bed." Ghost just nodded. Roach would see how things pan out when they're back at his place. 

Ghost got up from the table. Making Roach give him a confused look. "I'm going to train, you wanna come?" 

Roach got up from the table and put their coffee cups in the sink. "Sure. At least you can train." Roach mocked. He hated how he couldn't do anything because of these injuries 

Ghost went to retrieve his beloved ACR, while Roach went to observation box. When Ghost walked out he had a bewildered look on his face. "What's wrong?" 

"I'm gonna miss this gun."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Since I'm working on 4 different fics at once. I'm gonna try to have a chapter up at least every week. I'm sorry it's short. Hope you enjoy!

Roach couldn't stop laughing. Out of everything, Ghost was going to miss his beloved ACR the most. Roach found it comical.

"Mate. It's not that funny. You can stop laughing now." Ghost glared at Roach when he wouldn't stop laughing. Roach tried to calm himself down before he started crying on the spot.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's just funny, that's all." He was still on the cusp of laughing again. Ghost just shook his head and walked away. Roach sat down in the observation box to watch what his boyfriend does best. Boyfriend. Roach smirked when he thought of that word. The infamous Simon "Ghost" Riley is his boyfriend. Roach couldn't be happier. Ghost's injuries didn't seem to affect his abilities on the course. He still held the record for best time, even while injured. Roach was a little envious with how good Ghost is. He tried to beat his score more than once and failed each time. He decided it would be best just to try and break his own record. Eventually he did. 

Once Ghost was done, he walked back into the armory to put back the ACR. Roach met him outside the room. He leaned on the wall with his hands in his pockets. There's not much to do now. There were about a handful maybe more left of the 141. Thanks to Shepherd and the shadow company. Ghost walked out of the armory and saw Roach leaning against the wall. "Fancy seeing you here." 

Roach gave Ghost a little shove for his sarcastic remark. "Shut up." 

They started to walk around the base, since there was nothing better to do. They wouldn't be aloud to go back to Roach's place until Soap and Price would be back. If they come back. That thought crossed Roach's mind more than once since they've left. "Do you think they'll make it back?" 

"Soap and Price?" Roach nodded. They left a week ago and they still weren't back. It could be a number of things why they haven't, but it still made Roach worry. 

"They'll be fine. Shepherd's probably being his usual wanker self and running away. We should be out there with them." Ghost stated. A tint of anger in his voice.

"Yeah. You're probably right." Ghost wanted to go after Shepherd ever since he woke up in the infirmary. Soap insisted Ghost should stay here and heal. The only reason he obeyed the order was because of Roach.

"We're both not fit for active duty, remember?"

"Bollocks. Fucking Shepherd. He's lucky Soap and Price are after him. If it was me, I would make him suffer." Roach just hummed his answer. He wanted to be out there too. To help catch the bastard. Ghost never trusted Shepherd. He was partially grateful Shepherd recruited him after the incident with his family, but he never fully trusted him. A man who doesn't care about his troops is no man to be trusted. Shepherd would have murdered anyone and everyone if it kept him safe. 

They ended up outside. Roach kicked at a rock that was by his feet and looked around. This place used to be busy, you could see a person everywhere you turned, along with tanks and armored vehicles being moved, even the occasional helicopter. Now it was basically a ghost town. Night was fast approaching, with it being too dark to see much of anything, they went back inside. 

"You hungry?" Roach asked as he clenched his growling stomach. He didn't realize how hungry he was until he smelled whatever the other person was cooking.

"Yeah. Food sounds good." The closer they got to the kitchen, the more prominent the smell became. It only made Roach's stomach growl more. Entering the kitchen, they spotted Chemo. 

"That smells good. What'd you make?" Roach asked while he grabbed the loaf of bread.

"Chicken parm." Chemo simply stated. With that, he left the kitchen, leaving Ghost and Roach alone. Roach was too hungry to cook anything, so he decided to make a turkey sandwich. With him being to immersed in making his sandwich, he never noticed Ghost was staring at him. When he went back to the refrigerator to grab the lettuce he finally noticed. 

"Why...why are you staring at me?" Ghost let a small laugh escape his lips, walking over to stand in front of Roach. 

"You're just cute to watch, that's all." Roach could feel his cheeks heat up. He tried to hide the red tint, he knew he failed when he heard Ghost laugh again. 

"Come here." Ghost grabbed the front of Roach's shirt and pulled him in for a kiss......The first kiss in hours. Roach missed the contact. He missed his lips on Ghost's. He pulled away after sometime. Ghost giving him a look. 

"We can continue this later. Food now." Roach said while walking back to the table to finish making his sandwich. Ghost let out a disappointed sigh and walked over to make one himself. Once he was done, he waited patiently for Ghost to finish making his. With all the ingredients back in their respectable places, they went back into the rec-room. Sitting on the couch, Roach took no time in shoving the sandwich in his mouth. A satisfied moan leaving his him. 

"Is this how it's going to be living with you?" Ghost asked after a bite. Roach waited to finish the bite in his mouth before answering. 

"Yes. You agreed to it so." Roach shrugged, taking another bite. Ghost didn't say anything, he did agree to it. He'd take Roach and his love for food over being alone any day. It wasn't long after when Roach started complaining about a stomach ache. He was sprawled out of the couch groaning and clutching his stomach. 

"You wouldn't have a stomach ache if you didn't scarf down that sandwich in less than 30 seconds and did the same to the other 2 you made." 

Roach stopped his groaning to glare at him. "It's not my fault, I was hungry......God I haven't felt this full since I was a teenager." Roach was always good with eating in moderation when he was working. When he was on leave, that was a different story. 

"It's not your fault, huh? Did your legs involuntarily walk you back to the kitchen to make another sandwich?" said Ghost who let out an amused laugh. He looked at the mess of a boyfriend he had and shook his head, turning his head back to the tv to resume what he was watching.

"Shut up you bastard" mumbled Roach. Ghost returned his attention back to Roach, he arched an eyebrow, but before he could say anything, Chemo bursted into the room. Roach and Ghost gave him a bewildered look. 

"Guys come here." was all Chemo said before leaving. Roach and Ghost got up off the coach and headed in Chemo's direction. Chemo didn't say anything, he just them follow him. Coming to the infirmary Roach spotted what Chemo got them for. Sitting on one of beds getting looked at was Soap, Price sat in a chair next to him. It didn't look like they were injured too badly, which is good. Roach let out a relieved sigh. He was happy to know his friends were alive. He walked into the room to see how they were. Soap and Price glanced over to the door when they heard it open. 

"You know, I'm happy you guys are alive..but could you have at least radioed us or something. I was worried." Roach crossed his arms and stared at Soap. 

"Sorry mate. Radio got broken when we attacked shadow company." said Soap. Roach nodded. He looked over Soap trying to assess his injuries. 

"What's the damage. It doesn't look like you guy's got too injured?" asked Roach. He glanced over to Price, who was lighting a cigar. Roach shook his head and let out a chuckle. Leave it to Price to light a cigar in the infirmary. 

"Just a bunch of scraps and bruises for the most part. I got stabbed by Shepherd, luckily Price showed up just in time." said Soap. He lifted his shirt to show Roach. It was in his lower abdomen. He flinched when he saw it. It brought back what happened 3 weeks ago. 

"What about you?" asked Roach. Price hasn't said a word since he's came in. 

"He's fine mate. Just angry." said Soap. He glanced over to Price than back to Roach. 

"Don't you bloody say anything Soap." Hissed Price after a moment. Roach raised an eyebrow, something happened. But what? Roach wondered. Soap laughed and told them anyways. 

"Shepherd got the upper hand when Price came to my rescue. I ended up having to save his arse." 

Roach turned to Price, who shot him a warning look. "Well it looks like you bested him since you're still here." He was hoping that would help, but Price just scoff at the comment. Better to leave him alone until he cools down.

"I'll leave you guys alone now. Have a nice night!" Roach left the room. He realized Ghost wasn't with him. Was Ghost even in the room with him, now that he thinks of it, no he wasn't. The first place he'd check was their room. Opening the door he spotted who he was looking for. Ghost was on the bed reading a book. Roach closed the door behind him and sat on the edge of the bed. Ghost didn't say anything, just kept his attention to his book, but Roach could tell there was something wrong by the atmosphere in the room. 

"You okay?" asked Roach. Ghost sighed and but down his book. 

"Everything's fine, why?" said Ghost. Roach hoped Ghost would open up more with his feeling when they move in together. Even though Ghost has opened up more since the incident, he was still closed off a little. Bad habits are hard to break sometime. 

"No it's not. Talk to me." said Roach. He covered Ghost's hand with his own. Ghost moved his hand from Roach's and got off the bed. Roach watched every move. Ghost leaned over the desk and took a deep breath. 

"I can't go in there." mumbled Ghost. Roach got off the bed and went to his side. He put his hand on his back, hoping the gesture would help ease what he was going through. 

"Why not?" 

Ghost turned to Roach and gave him a small smile. "It brings me back to when you were there." 

Of course, why didn't he think of that. Those memories of seeing Roach in the infirmary right after the incident were still fresh in his mind. Roach did his best to push those memories as far away as possible.

"I can't lose you Gary." Those words were barely above a whisper but Roach heard them. Roach cupped the side of Ghost's face, Ghost leaned into the touch. 

"You're not going to lose me Simon. Never have, never will." Roach leaned over to kiss Ghost. That seemed to be the right push. Ghost broke the kiss and smiled at him. Taking his hand and pulling onto the bed. Roach moved so his back was against the wall, leaving enough room for Ghost to lay down. Once Ghost was settled, Roach scooted over so his head was resting on his chest. 

Roach smiled to himself. He was cuddling in bed with the man he loves and his friends are alive. Now the only thing left to do is tell Soap and Price about their retirement plan. In his eyes the future was looking promising.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this is so short. The next chapter will be much longer. Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far!

It's been about a week since Price and Soap returned. Roach and Ghost waited a few days before telling them the news. Soap understood why they wanted to retire and wish them well. Roach was in his room, packing up his belongings. They were leaving this afternoon. Once he got all of his stuff packed, he looked around his room to make sure he didn't forget anything. 

He headed towards Ghost's room afterwards. Knocking on the door. "It's me."

"You know you don't need to knock Gary. Just come on in." Roach open the door and walked inside. 

"I know. Just being courteous I guess." Roach lifted and dropped his shoulders. He sat down next to Ghost on his bed. "Everything ready?" 

"Yeah. I packed a few hours ago. You?" 

"Just finished. We should be leaving within the hour." 

Roach couldn't wait to get back to his apartment. He couldn't wait to start his life with Gho- Simon. Roach couldn't help but smile to himself. He thought of all his favorite places he wanted to show Simon before they moved to England. When he first joined the 141 he never thought he would fall for a superior and end up living with them. But here he was. 

"Gary. Oi Gary." Roach snapped out of his daze and looked at Ghost. 

"Huh? Oh sorry. What'd you say?" Roach's cheeks started to turn pink and he gave a small apologetic smile. Ghost shook his head and chuckled. 

"I didn't say anything. You just had that look on your face mate." 

"What look?" asked Roach. He was clearly confused, he didn't realize he even made a 'look' on his face when he did that. 

"When you're deep in thought. You tend to stare off into space." 

"Oh sorry." Ghost laugh and kissed the side of his face. 

"No need to apologize. It's pretty cute. What was it about?" The pink tint on Roach's cheeks grew a little more. He tried to hide it. Which only made Ghost laugh even more. 

"I highly doubt it's cute. It was about......us." Roach intertwined their hands together. Ghost still had some burns on his arms that were slowly healing. He laid his head on his shoulders. 

"Hmm. Was it good?" Ghost laid his head on top of Roach's.   
"Always is." 

They stayed in Ghost's room until Soap came and got them. Soap walked them to the chopper. "You guys were great soldiers. We're gonna miss ya numpty's." 

Ghost and Roach rolled their eyes at Soap's compliment. 

"Thanks Soap. I'm sure you guys ain't gonna do so well without me around." said Ghost sarcastically. 

"Aye. You're good. But you're not that good." said Soap. Roach interrupted them before it became a competition between them. 

"Well we're gonna miss you Soap." 

"You too. Have a safe flight and you know there's always a place here for you guys." 

"Thanks Soap." said Roach and Ghost in unison. 

They gave a last wave to their Captain and got on the chopper. Roach watched as the base became smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing all together. He leaned back and sighed. Ghost intertwined their hands together and gave him a smile. It was the start to a new life for one Gary Sanderson and Simon Riley.


	5. Chapter 5

Walking up the staircase with his duffel bag in one hand and his keys in the other. Ghost followed behind with his. It's been years since he's walked up the black and white staircase leading to his apartment. He hardly came back here. When he was on leave, Roach would visit his parents, who lived in another state and then he would travel. Rounding the corner to the hallway that lead to his door. The smell of food someone was cooking hit his nose. It smelt good, whatever it was. 

"Here we are." mumbled Roach. He turned to Ghost and gave him a little smile. He's been quiet since they've landed. A little too quiet. 

Roach opened the door and turned on the light. He closed and locked the door after Ghost walked in. It was just how he left it, just a little more dusty. He'll have to clean the whole place, which he wasn't looking forward too. Grabbing Ghost's bag and putting them on the floor by the door. He grabbed his hand and gave him a tour around the apartment. 

"Here's the living room with the adjoining kitchen." The living room was big. A black couch that was big enough to house 5 plus people sat in the middle. The TV and entertainment center in front of it, which sat in front of a wall. A desk with his laptop sat against far wall and a good size bookcase filled with books that Ghost couldn't wait to get his hands on. They continued the tour, walking down the short hallway. "And this is the bathroom and our bedroom." 

The bedroom was a good size. In it was a queen sized bed with white linens. A small night stand on each side, a dresser on the left side of the wall and a closet. Roach had a few pictures hanging on the wall. Most were of family and friends and then some were from actual artist. Who knew Gary liked art? 

"It's cute." Ghost simply stated. 

They walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch. "It's not much. I would like a bigger place. Especially one with a yard, 'cause I would love to get a dog."

Roach grew up with dogs and he missed having one around. Missed how they would curl up next to you on the couch or bed and listen to everything you had to say. And he missed the unconditional love they brought. 

"You like dogs huh?" asked Ghost with a raised brow. 

"Love dogs. I grew up with them. The last one I had passed away a few months before I joined the army. His name was Hogan and he was my best friend for 8 years. I miss having one around. Do you like dogs?" Roach was curious now. He hoped he did or it might be a problem in the very near future. 

"Yeah. I like dogs. Never had one, but they're cute." Roach let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Thank god, he thought. 

"I wish you got to grown up with one. They are called man's best friend for a reason. Would you care if we got one? Once we moved and are settled in?" asked Roach. He was hoping Ghost would say yes. Now since he was out of the army, he was 'aloud' to get a dog. He tried begging Soap to get a dog for the group but with his fear of them, he said no. 

"I wouldn't mind. It'll keep Soap from visiting too much." said Ghost. A small laugh leaving his lips. 

Roach got up to check the fridge, making sure he threw out everything before he left for the base. 4 years ago. He opened the door......nothing. Roach let out a sigh and sat back down next to Ghost. Who was giving him a weird look. "I just wanted to make sure nothing was rotting. And we're gonna need to stock up the fridge and cupboards." 

He didn't mind grocery shopping. He liked picking up all his favorite foods. The only thing he hated was how packed it could get. Glancing at the clock, it was late, way too late to go now. Take-out it is. Roach got up to retrieve every take-out menu he owned, sitting back down and handing them to Ghost. "You pick." 

Roach watched Ghost look through each menu, eventually deciding on a pizza place. Roach was pacing around the living room, trying to ignore his growling stomach. They still had a good 10 minute wait before it arrived. 

"Can you please sit down Gary?" asked Ghost who hasn't left the couch since they got there. 

"Ugh. Fine." Roach obliged and sat down, crossing his arms and furrowed his brows. Ghost laughed at the cute little angry Roach beside him. 

"You're cute when you're like this." Ghost wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer and kissing his temple. That helped Roach a little. He rested his head on Ghost's shoulder. Patiently waiting for the pizza to arrive. Hearing a knock at the door, Roach jumped off the couch and whipped opened the door. Scaring the poor delivery man. He apologized and gave him a good tip. 

After closing the door, he placed the pizza and drinks on the coffee table and sat down.

"Are you ever going to get off the couch?" asked Roach who was already stuffing his face. 

"When we go to bed. This thing is really comfy." said Ghost who grabbed a piece. 

"That's why I bought it." Roach simply stated. He was looking forward to bedtime. It'll be nice to be in a bed meant for two. Not trying to fit two people on a bed meant for one. 

"Simon, do you like to cook?" 

"I don't mind it, why?"

"Just curious. I do. You can thank my mom for that." 

"She a chef? Or just really like to cook?" 

"Both. She taught me everything I know." When Gary was little, he would go into the kitchen to help his mom with dinner or dessert. And it grew from there. He did wonder how Simon was in the kitchen. Maybe they could cook something together someday. 

Simon nodded. "I'm self taught. Mum taught me the basics and I figured out the rest." Cooking isn't too difficult. As long as you don't burn or undercook anything, you're golden. 

"Nice." Was all Roach could muster up. After downing 5 pieces in a total of 3 minutes. Roach once again clenched his stomach and groaned in pain. Poor bug never learns. Ghost who was only on his 3rd slice was rubbing Roach's back in hopes it'll help sooth his discomfort. 

"Mate. You really need to learn how to eat more slowly. Not stuff as much as you can within a few minutes." said Ghost who was still rubbing his back. Roach just groaned and glared at him. 

"Shut up." 

Ghost shook his head and took another bite of his pizza. It took a few hours before Roach stopped moaning and groaning about his stomach. Luckily by that time, they were both ready for bed. Roach cursed himself for indulging too much, he wanted the night to end differently. More R rated. He took of his pants, staying in just his boxer and shirt. Getting comfy under the covers, he waited patiently for Ghost. Who decided to take a quick shower. 

Roach decided to skim through the book Simon picked out to pass the time. Thankfully, Roach didn't have to wait long. A minute later Ghost walked in, in just his boxers that clanged to his lean hips. He brushed a hand through his damp black hair, disheveling it some more. There was no skull printed balaclava and no sunglasses. Simon was laid bare and to put simply, breathtaking. His mouth gaped open. He's never seen the man so....bare before. Gary saw the extent of his scars and burns, that were on their way to healing. He wondered if the scars were from past mission or Roba. 

Simon smiled at him and got in bed. Gary returned the smile and snuggled up next to him. He breathed in his scent, he smelled like pine. Gary was already enjoying having a big enough bed to fit the both of them. No more trying to fit to grown men in a twin bed. 

"Did you have a good shower." 

Simon kissed the top of his head. "It was good. Would have been better if you joined me." Simon gave him a wink. Making him nearly choked on air. 

"Next time." 

They spent the rest of the night in each others arms, eventually falling asleep. 

xXx

In the middle of the night, they unknowingly moved positions. Gary was on his side facing the wall. He felt Simon's arm around his waist and his face between his shoulder blades. He smiled to himself. Looking at the clock it read 8 am. Gary wasn't in a rush to get up. He'd rather be in Simon's embrace for a little while longer. 

Eventually Gary became restless. He gently detangle himself from Simon. Slowing getting of the bed, he looked at the gorgeous sleeping man. His hair was in different angles making Gary quietly laugh to himself. He headed to the bathroom, closing the door and turning on the light. He brushed his teeth and headed back into his room. 

Simon was still asleep. He quietly grabbed a shirt and jeans and changed. Sitting in the chair, he watched him sleep. He looked peaceful, hopefully he was having a good dream. He glanced at the clock and it was getting late. Gary hoped to do the grocery shopping in the morning, before the crowd. 

"Simon...Simon." Gary tried shaking him awake. All Simon did was wave in his direction and said something unintelligible. 

"C'mon Simon, you have to wake up." 

"I'm awake. I'm awake." said Simon whose eyes were still closed. 

"Oh really. Then why are your eyes still closed?" 

Simon opened one eye and glared at him before closing it again. "5 more minutes bug." 

Simon felt the bed dip under Gary's weight. In the next moment he felt a trail of kisses going from his cheek to his neck. Gary hoped this would get him motivated. To his dismay, it didn't. A mischievous look shown over Gary's face, he ever so gently started to move his hand down Simon's chest. He kept getting lower and lower until his fingers went under the band of Simon's boxers. 

He glanced at Simon to see he still had his eyes closed and his facial features were neutral. He must have some good will power, Gary thought. He shrugged his shoulders a little and moved his hand lower. He was determined to get that man up before afternoon came around. Gary's hand inched its way to Simon's member. The next thing Gary knew he was on his back with his arms pinned above his head and Simon was above him. Gary's eyes widened. 

"Did you forget who you were in bed with Bug?" 

"No...." Gary forgot how fast Simon can be and it took him off guard. "I was just trying to wake you up that's all. We have errands to run today Simon." 

Simon released his arms but remained on top of Gary. This was how he wanted to end last night. Now he was determined, today would be the day. Gary's cheeks started to turn pink, he saw Simon smirk when he tried to hide it. 

"You're cute. You know that?" asked Simon who lent down to kiss Gary on the lips. He removed himself off of Gary. A silent whine of disapproval left Gary. 

"You're cuter."

Simon shook his head and smiled. Gary sat up and sighed. He felt Simon move behind him, an arm wrapped around his waist and he started sucking at his neck. A moan left Gary. Simon's hand went to the front of Gary's jeans, slowly rubbing the fabric against his growing hard on. With a nimble hand Simon unzipped his pants to get better access. Giving a few agonizingly slow strokes over his hard member. Simon removed his hand from his pants and motioned for Gray to turn around. 

He eagerly got on his hands and knees, not before he grabbed the bottle of lube out of the top drawer to his bedside table and threw it to Simon. He easily caught it. Gary removed his pants and boxer and turned around on his hands and knees. He heard the snap of the bottle opening, and felt Simon's hand on his ass. He tried to reel in his excitement that he was about to get pounded by the infamous Ghost. In the next moment he felt 2 fingers enter him, it was mixed with pleasure and a little uncomfort. 

"You're a little tight mate? Has it been a while?" asked Simon who was working his fingers inside Gary. 

"Yeah, actually. I'm not the one for hookups. I'd rather been in a relationship when I sleep with someone." said Gary who was on the verge of moaning. 

"I can respect that." Simon worked another finger in, twisting his wrist. Gary moaned and started to stroke himself. Simon batted his hand away and removed his fingers.

"What was that for?" asked Gary. His voice coming off a little whiny. 

"No need to come before we even get started." Simon simply stated. He pulled down his boxers far enough to pull out his own eager cock. Gary bit his lower lip, he watched Simon lube himself up and position himself at his entrance. He teased around the opening making Gary groan in frustration. He tried moving back but Simon gripped his hips, stopping him. 

"Please? Simon." whined Gary. 

He was too horny for this slow shit, he just wanted to be pounded. Simon slapped his ass, making Gary gasp. He laughed and wasted no time in burying himself in that suffocating heat. They both moaned. Gary's bed ridden fantasies about him being mounted by the man weren't supposed to come true, but here he was thanking every God he could think of that it was. His thrusts were long and slow, other were short and sharp. Gary leaned down on his elbows, this new position made him hit all the right spots. Simon leaned down to grab Gary's leaking cock and started stroking him. Simon was getting close, breath started to go uneven and his perfect rhythm began to falter. Gary was the first to come, spilling over Simon's hand and his own shirt. Simon came quickly after. He leaned down, kissed the back of Gary's neck and pulled out. The both collapsed on the bed together. They're labored breaths were the only thing to be heard in Gary's little apartment. 

Gary took off his shirt and threw it into the empty laundry basket. He wasn't going to be wearing that out in public. He glanced at the clock and it read 11 am. So much for early shopping, thought Gary. They spent the rest of the morning in each others arms. Gary, eventually got Simon to get out of bed to go shopping with him. They slowly got dressed and headed out the door. 

xXx

Pull into the parking lot of Gary's favorite grocery store, he parked the car in the first spot he saw. And to Simon's dismay, it was at the end of the parking lot, farthest away from the door. "Could you have parked any further away from the bloody store?" 

Gary grabbed a cart. "Probably." 

"Cheeky." mumbled Simon. 

Gary smirked and walked towards the produce section. With it being fall, Gary's favorite fruit was in season. Simon watched Gary grab four bags of apples. He raised a brow and looked at Gary. 

"What?" asked Gary who was putting his apples in the cart. 

"You like apples I see." 

"Yes I do. Some are for eating and some are for the apple pies I plan on making." 

A quarter of the cart was filled with fruits and veggies. There were some oranges, which were Simon's favorite. Mushrooms, grapes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and broccoli. They went up and down each isle, picking essentials and stuff that just sounded good. It would help Gary if Simon was a little more vocal about what he likes or not. 

"I'm sure you don't want to be on a strict vegetarian diet, so let's head to the meat section." 

"No, no I don't." said Simon. 

They headed towards the meats. Gary tried going vegetarian once and it didn't work out, he was craving and eating buffalo wing by the end of the first day. He gave props to the people who are vegan or vegetarian though. Gary was looking at two packs of chicken, when he glanced at Simon who had a concern look over his face.

"Simon? You alright?" 

"Yeah. It just a strange feeling that we're being watched." 

"Watched? I don't feel anything. It's probably just nerves for being back in the civilian lifestyle." said Gary. He shrugged the thought of being watched away. 

"You're probably right." 

Gary held up both packs of chicken. "Which looks better or do they both look fine?" 

"They both seem fine to me." 

Gary nodded and put them both in the cart. He added some steak, pork and hamburg as well. He didn't realize how much food you needed for two grown men. It was a lot. And it didn't help that they needed to restock both the fridge and cupboards. Ringing through the check out Simon watched to total climb. His eyes widen slightly when the ending total read a little over 300 dollars. Gary swiped his card, bunch in his number and waited for the cashier. 

"Here you go and have a nice day." said the cashier 

"Thanks and you too." Then they loaded up the car with all the delicious goodness. 

"We bought a lot." said Gary. Simon glared at him and put another bag in the trunk. He wasn't looking forward to lugging all this up those three flights of stairs. Maybe there's an elevator? 

"By any chance, is there a lift in our apartment building?" 

"Yeah, why?" 

"Do you really want to lug all this up those three flights of stairs Gary?" 

"No not precisely." 

"Thought so." 

Gary scoffed and shut the trunk, letting Simon put the cart away. He breathed in the crisp fall air and looked at all the colorful leaves on the tree. Gary loved this time of year, and with it being early October, he couldn't wait for pumpkin carving, scary movies and Halloween. 

xXx

"It sure is pretty here." said Simon, who was looking out the window. 

"Yeah it is. That's why I moved here." 

"Where did you live before?" 

"Albany, New York. I was born and raised there. Joined the army and moved here during my first leave." 

"Good choice. Autumn is already better here than it is in England." 

Autumn in New England is the best. Gary pulled into the parking lot and parked a close as he could to the door. He heard Simon mumble something when he got out of the car and decided against asking him what he said. Luckily they only had to make two trips. Well Simon did. Gary was putting away the grocery's while Simon went to go grab the water that was still in the car. 

Putting away the stuff that could go bad if left out for too long, like meat, milk and eggs. He heard the door open and close. Simon placed the water on the floor near the fridge and started helping Gary put thing away. Once everything was away Gary plopped himself on the couch, Simon joined him shortly after. The first time shopping with Simon went better than he expected. He just wished he did a little more talking, but overall it was a success. They argued a little about who was going to cook dinner. Settling on Gary, who knew more than Simon. Simon was afraid of setting the place on fire and he could learn a thing or two from watching Gary. 

"Do you still want to move to England?" asked Simon 

"Maybe, do you?" 

Simon shook his head. "No, not anymore. It's too beautiful here." 

"Okay. And yeah it is. Wait until winter though." 

"I'm nervous now. I don't like that look on your face." 

Gary laughed. "Winters are fine and plus you grew up in England so you're use to snow and the cold. If we do stay here, I still want to move. I want a bigger place, with a yard that would be nice. For our future fur baby." 

"Fur baby? What the fuck Gary. And I can deal with a bigger place." 

"If we get a dog, that will be our first child. So fur baby." Gary shrugged his shoulders. 

"You're impossible sometimes." 

"But you love me." said Gary who had a big smile plastered all over his face. Simon scooted closer to Gary and wrapped his arm around him. 

"You know I do." They spent the rest of the afternoon snuggled up on the couch, watching whatever stupid movie that was on. It started getting late and Gary's stomach started to growl. 

"You hungry?" asked Gary 

"Yeah, actually." 

"Okay I'll start dinner." 

Gary got up off the couch and headed into the kitchen. It was like a bomb went off in the kitchen. There were pots and pans everywhere, food on the counter. Simon watched his boyfriend from the couch, it was safer there. He was astonished by how good he was at this. The perks of having a chef for a mom. Whatever he was cooking smelled phenomenal. 

"Smells good." said Simon from the couch 

"Mmm, it does. It should be done soon." 

Simon nodded and went back to watching Gary. They spent the next hour or so eating and talking about what they want in their future home. Simon thought a 3 bedroom would work fine, saying they would have the master, a guest room and a study that he could fill with books. Gary agreed that could work for them and he wanted a big yard and kitchen. Gary got up and went to retrieve Simon's plate until he insisted he do the dishes since Gary cooked. 

Gary obliged and went to sit down on the couch. He hated doing dishes. He maneuvered himself so he was laying down. He was happy with himself about buying this particular couch, cause he could still see that gorgeous looking man in the position he was in. Gary would be completely fine if he did the cooking and Simon washed the dishes afterwards. He turned on the TV and slipped through the channels. He settled on some fixer upper show, it was better than some of the other crap that was on. 

His eyes went to Simon. Even though they were in a casual setting, it was kind of weird seeing Simon doing domestic stuff. But Gary thought it was hot. He returned his attention to the show, a few minutes later Simon joined him. It was a relatively lazy evening, they spent it snuggled up on the couch watching movies. Eventually Simon started to yawn. 

"Sleepy?" asked Gary

"A little." 

Gary looked at the clock on the wall, it read 1 am. Yeah, it was late. "We should head to bed then." 

Simon nodded. Gary got up off the couch and threw the blanket on the back. Simon got off and stretched, Gary saw a peak of his very defined abs. Gary took his hand and lead him into the bedroom, he was secretly hoping for round 2 from this morning. 

And he got exactly what he hoped for.


	6. Chapter 6

Gary and Simon were packing up the rest of the apartment. It didn't take long for them to find a house they both liked. Gary hated the moving part but was looking forward to decorating the new house. It was a spacious 3 bedroom 2 bath house with a nice yard. Perfect for their future dog! Gary was in the kitchen packing up the kitchen wear. Half of the stuff he didn't realize he owned. Simon was in the living room dismantling the desk that Gary could part with. Simon thought it was a piece of junk and they ought to buy a new one. 

Simon looked over at the kitchen when he heard a crashing sound. 

"There goes that plate." mumbled Gary. He put the tower of plates he had in his hands down on the counter and went to pick up the broken plate. Simon watched Gary all bent over and stretched up. Gary was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged his legs perfectly. Simon licked his lips, while his eyes skimmed over Gary's toned body. He wouldn't mind taking Gary where he stood but he wanted to get this shit over and done with. They woke before the crack of dawn to move all the bigger and more important stuff, like the bed, couch, dresser, and entertainment stand with the TV. Now it was more of the smaller things, the rest of the kitchen wear, the desk Simon wants to throw out and more of their wardrobe. 

"Bug? Do we have to take this bloody awful thing with us?" asked Simon, who was getting frustrated with taking apart the damn thing. Gary stopped putting some plates into a box and glared at him. 

"Yes Simon, we do." 

Gary went pack to packing up the plates, bowls and cups, while Simon looked at Gary with a dumbfounded look on his face. He didn't know why he loved this desk so much. It was literally falling apart. Simon was secretly praying it would get more damaged in the move so they could just buy a new one. He went back to unscrewing one of the screws, everything was going fine until the blasted desk decided to come tumbling down on Simon. Simon who was now under the desk let out a huff and chucked the pieces of wood across the room. It hit the wall with a loud thud. Gary stared at an angry Simon with his mouth agape. 

"What the hell was that for?" 

"Your fucking desk decided to collapse on me." Simon stated angrily.

"So you decide to chuck it across the room? Instead of pushing it to the side." 

Simon let out a deep sigh, got up, grabbed his coat and went outside. Gary watched Simon walk out and shook his head. He went back to packing, it was better to let Simon blow off some steam. 

Simon walked out of the building putting his coat on. The cold night air was refreshing. He went into his jacket pocket to grab his pack of cigarettes and his lighter. Lighting one and taking a long drag. He sat down on the nearby bench. Rubbing his temples to relieve some stress, he knew he shouldn't have acted like he did. He was becoming short tempered and he didn't like it. The last time he got this angry, this quickly, was when he was seeing a shrink after his family was murdered and reacted violently. Luckily he didn't do anything he truly regretted. He was agitated and it had to do with that damn desk. He shook his head at the thought of how childish it was. He finished his cigarette and threw it on the ground. Standing up from the bench, he sighed and headed back inside. Simon took his time going up the stairs. He wanted his anger to subside more before going back in. 

He opened the door to the apartment to find Gary throwing away desk. Simon looked at him confused. 

"What are you doing?" asked Simon. Gary didn't say anything he lifted a piece of the wood and showed Simon. It was almost broken clean through. A truckload of guilt hit Simon, he felt awful. Gary loved that desk for a reason and in his anger he destroyed it.

"Bloody hell. I'm...I'm sorry Gary." 

Gary tossed the piece of wood in the trash and turned towards Simon. "It's okay...I guess." 

He went back to packing up more stuff and Simon just stared at the pieces of wood in the trash can. He finally shrugged off his coat after a moment and threw it over some boxes near the door. He walked over to Gary. "Do you need any help?" 

"I'm good here but can you grab the boxes from the bedroom?" 

Simon nodded and headed towards the bedroom. He flipped the switch and saw 5 big boxes in there. He went to pick up the biggest one first, squatting down to pick it up, it was heavier than it looked. 

"Bloody hell Gary, what's in here All of Soap's forgotten paperwork?" he mumbled to himself. Walking back into the kitchen and living room, he set the box near the door and walked back in to retrieve the others. Once he was done, he was out of breath. Not on his normal fitness plan was really tampering with his breathing. He sat on the floor and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Hey?" said Gary

Simon looked in his direction, Gary threw a water bottle in his direction. He easily caught it. Opening it and drinking a little too greedy. 

"Thanks." Gary nodded and grabbed the box from the counter and set it with the rest. He sat down on the floor next to Simon. 

"It's getting late we should get this shit packed in the car and head home. We can clean the apartment tomorrow." 

Simon nodded and got up to put on his coat again. Gary got up to do the same thing. Simon let out a sigh when he saw all the boxes. This was going to take more than one trip to the car and all he wanted to do was get hope, strip out of his clothes and sleep.

"Can we just take the important stuff and get the rest tomorrow? I'm tired." said Simon 

"Yeah that's a good idea." 

They rearranged the boxes and left the non important ones near the door. To Simon's dismay, the heaviest box was going with them. It didn't take long for them to load up the car. Simon waited by the car while Gary went to retrieve the last box. He smirked when he saw Gary struggling with the box. 

"What the hell did I put in here?" Simon took the box from Gary and put it in the trunk.

"Don't know mate but it's heavy as shit." said Simon 

Gary nodded and they both got into the car. He turned on the car and cranked up the heat. It was the middle of October and the nights were already freezing. The drive was only 10 minutes, their house was in a nice quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of town. Simon liked that. Pulling into the driveway, Simon stretched and yawned. 

"Why don't you open the door and I grab some of the boxes?" 

"Okay." They both got out of the car. Simon popped the trunk, while Gary went to open the door and turned on the light. He grabbed the heavy one first. 

"I ain't dealing with your shit tonight, you're the first one going in the house." He said to the box. Lugging the thing in he set it down right inside the doorway and had Gary move it to where he wanted it. He ended up grabbing a box or two and set them in the doorway, it was easier for him to get it done faster. Once everything was inside the house he slammed the trunk shut and locked the car. 

Walking inside and locking the front door behind him. He looked around and saw all the unpacked boxes and unbuilt things and sighed. They had a lot of work cut out for them. He didn't care at the moment, all he wanted to do was crawl in bed and go to sleep. 

"What are you doing?" 

Gary looked to rearranging the boxes, and Simon thought it was ridiculous. "Rearranging the boxes in groups of which room they go in." 

Simon walked over to him and cupped his cheeks. "Gary, it's late can't we just go to bed?" 

Gary's brown eyes twinkled. Simon smile down at him and gave the younger man a kiss. The first since they woke up. 

Gary hummed into it. A silent whine leaving him when Simon pulled back. He laughed at the pout Gary had on his face. "I guess sleep sounds good." 

Simon and Gary walked up stairs to their bedroom. It didn't look like much, the only thing that was in the right place was their bed, the dresser and the nightstands. Simon sat on the bed and started to take off his boots. Discarding them on the floor. The next thing to go was his shirt, also discarding it on the floor. He felt a pair of hands come around him. Gary started to kiss down his neck. A small laugh escaped Simon's lips. As much as he loved what Gary was doing, he was just way to exhausted for it. He turned to look at him, giving him a chaste kiss. "Tomorrow morning okay?" 

Gary's face faltered a little, but obliged nonetheless. He started to discard his clothing while Simon took off his jeans. Sliding under the blankets, he turned on his side, facing the wall. He felt the mattress dip under Gary's weight, the next thing he felt was Gary's arms wrapping around his waist and his face pressed into the curve of his neck. A smile showing on Simon's face. Both now comfortable in each others arms, sleep came quickly after the exhausting day. 

xXx

Both falling back on the bed, with heavy breathing. It was early morning and Simon was already exhausted. All because of the libido of the light brown haired gorgeous man next to him. Gary propped himself up on his elbow and smiled down at Simon. He smiled up at him. Blue eyes meeting brown. Gary's fingers lightly trailed down Simon's broad chest, a smirk forming on his lips. "Round 2?" 

Simon sat up a little and shook his head no. 

"We have a lot of shit to do, once we get everything here and put it in it's spot than I'm all yours." Gary groaned and got off the bed to get dressed. Simon did the same. Simon stretched and felt a twinge of pain in his back. Pulling on his boxers, he pulled one of the bins that had their clothes in them. Rummaging through it, he pulled out a pair of black jeans and gray t-shirt. Once he was dressed he sat down on the bed to put on his boots. He glanced over to find Gary tying up his sneakers. Gary was in a navy blue t-shirt and dark washed jeans that hugged his ass perfectly. 

"Do you want to grab the rest of the boxes first? And then clean the apartment?" asked Simon

"Yeah and plus the apartment wasn't even that dirty to begin with. Wanna stop for coffee and doughnuts on the way there?" 

"Fuck yeah. I'm starving." 

xXx

Driving back to the apartment with their coffee and doughnuts. Gary was happy that dunkin donuts had a drive through. And he didn't think Simon would appreciate waiting in line forever. Walking up the stairs to the apartment, the pain in Simon's back started to get worse but he was determined to push through it. He's had worse injuries than a bad back. Gary unlocked the door and switched on the light. Simon set the doughnuts on the counter and Gary took no time in indulging himself. 

"So what kinda coffee did you get again bug?" 

"French Vanilla. Wanna try? It's good." 

"I'm good. I like my coffee how it is." 

"Awe, come on Simon. You might like it." 

Simon sighed and nodded. Gary handed him his drink and waited for Simon to take a sip. After a moment of hesitation, he finally did. Gary didn't see any reaction on his face and he didn't know how to take it. 

"That's not bad." 

"Told you." said Gary who had a smile on his face. 

Simon laughed, they spent a good chunk of the morning getting the rest of the boxes into the car. Once that was done, it was time to clean. Luckily the bedroom and bathroom didn't need cleaning. The living room and kitchen on the other hand did. Gary was washing the cabinets while Simon swept the floor in the living room. He has never seen so much dust before. Everything was in tip top shape back at base, then again it's been months since Gary was back here and dust does collect. Simon took a small break to grab a doughnut from the box. Gary was trying to scrub a spot off the counter. 

"Mate, you're not gonna clean that. I've tried. Just leave it." 

Gary sighed and took a break himself. He looked around the apartment and saw how almost spotless it was. Who knew Ghost was good at cleaning? The only thing left to do was wash the windows and take out the trash bag on the ground. The finished everything before noon. Now it was time to get the rest of the stuff to their new house. 

xXx

Now that they had everything in the new house, Gary and Simon were rearranging the boxes in groups of which room they belonged to. They spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking. With most of the stuff unpacked, Gary realized they needed a lot more decor. The house was pretty much bare. Simon was in the bedroom, unpacking his clothes. They both shared the dresser along with the walk-in closet. He didn't bring much with him, he didn't own much to begin with. He burnt everything he owned years ago. Once he was done, he walked back downstairs to help Gary. 

"Can you grab that box over there?" asked Gary. Simon looked to where he was pointing and groaned. It was the huge heavy box he detested. 

He moved the box with his foot. It easily slide over the new hardwood floors. He sat down next to Gary and opened it up. Books, it was filled with books. No wonder it weighed a ton. "Do you mind putting them in the bookcase?" 

"No problem." 

He took a few books at a time and set each one of them on the shelves. Less than 10 minutes and he was done. Gary was putting the dishes away and he decided to help. All in all the day didn't go bad and they got a lot of stuff accomplished. Simon couldn't believe it took two cabinets to put all of Gary's mugs in. For dinner they ended up getting take-out since neither of them wanted to cook. They sat on the couch watching whatever horror movie Gary picked. They wouldn't have cable or internet until tomorrow. Simon's eyes started to close, he didn't realize how tired he was until he sat down. He ended up putting his head in Gary's lap, for some reason the gesture threw Gary off. 

"What are you doing?" asked Gary 

"Using you for a pillow and my back hurts." 

"Alright." 

Gary started to run his fingers through Simon's hair. The sensation felt phenomenal and it lulled him into a content state. Eventually he ended up falling asleep on Gary. Gary carefully moved his head from his lap so he could get up and retrieve the movie. Putting the movie back in it's case he looked over at Simon. He looked content in his sleeping state. Gary let him sleep a little longer, until it started getting late. 

"Hey Simon, time to get up." He gently shook the man. All he got in response was a grunt. Laughing at his reply, he shook him a little harder until an eye slowly popped opened. 

"It's late, time to go to bed."   
"I was already asleep until you woke me up." 

Gary shrugged "Alright if you want to sleep here fine, I'll be in our room." He started to walk away until he heard Simon sighed. 

"Alright I'm coming." 

Gary smiled to himself and walked up the stairs, Simon following behind him. Simon took no time in undressing and threw himself onto the bed. Getting all cozy under the covers with Gary. He flipped off the night next to their bed. 

"Goodnight Simon." 

"Goodnight Bug." 

And they drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Finally an update. This one took me a while since I kinda lost the inspiration for it but it's back now, so hopefully I'll update this more frequently. Hope you enjoy!

It's been two weeks since Simon and Gary moved into their new home. Things were getting better. Gary got a job at an office and spends his day answering phones. Simon was still unemployed, he hasn't found a job he likes or is qualified for. He was thinking about becoming a bouncer at a club or bar. He was fit for that, but that would take him away from Gary and he didn't want that. So he spends his days working out and cleaning around the house. 

Simon sat on the couch and turned on the tv. Flipping through the channels to see if anything good was on. There wasn't, so he left it on the cooking channel. He sighed and closed his eyes, eventually falling asleep to the sound of the tv. He woke up by the front door slamming shut. Simon sat up to glare at the intruder. His face instantly softening when he saw Gary. 

Gary was navy blue trousers, a white shirt and a matching suit jacket that matched his pants. Simon thought he looked perfect. He got up from the couch and walked over and crushed their lips together. It's only been 8 and a half hours since Gary left for work, but to Simon, that was to long without contact. Simon pulled away and smiled. 

"What was that for?" asked Gary 

Simon shrugged. "I just missed you, that's all." 

"I missed you too." 

Gary took off his suit jacket and laid it on top of one of the chairs and sat down on the couch. Simon followed seconds after. After a moment Simon saw Gary had that look on his face that he wanted to ask him something. He wished he would just say it instead of playing this stupid games of his. 

"What is it?" 

"What?" asked a confused Gary 

"You have that look on your face. The look that indicates you want to ask me something." 

Gary sighed and turned to him. "Okay fine, I do. What do you think about us getting a dog?" 

"You really want that dog don't you?" 

"Well yeah. And you'll have some company when I'm at work." 

Simon sighed and thought about what he said. It would be nice to have a furry friend. And Simon wouldn't be bored out of his mind during the day.

"Okay fine. We can get a dog." The smile that graced Gary's face made his heart skip a beat. He's never seen him this happy before. 

"Are you serious?" 

"Yes. I'm serious." 

Gary jumped on Simon's lap and gave him a hard kiss. Simon chuckled into the kiss and Gary pulled away to raise a brow at him. 

"I'm sorry love." Gary rolled his eyes and hips for good measure and kissed him again. He smirked into the kiss when he heard Simon let out a small moan. Before things got too heated, Gary got up from Simon's lap. When he looked down at him he saw the visible pout on his face. Gary laughed and held out his hand. Simon obliged and took it. Then Gary pulled him into their bedroom to finish what they started. 

xXx

The next morning Gary was on his laptop looking at different shelters for the perfect companion. Simon was in the shower after his morning run. Gary scrolled down the page until he spotted this cute little brown and white pitbull. Her name was Honey. He understood why the shelter named her that. She had gorgeous honey colored eyes. Gary went to her profile and read it. His heart sank a little, poor thing was rescued from an abusive household. He glanced at the bathroom door and thought about Simon's past. Honey and Simon already had a lot in common. If Gary gave Simon a better life he wanted to do the same for Honey. 

Later that morning Gary and Simon were buying everything the needed for Honey. Food and water dish, her dog food, her dog bed, and some treats and toys. Gary was bouncing with excitement while Simon pushed the cart around. They were at the leash and collar part of the store. Gary didn't know if he should use the harness or the collar. 

"Should we use the collar or the harness Simon?" asked Gary 

Simon turned his attention back on Gary. "Which is better?" 

"Harness. The shelter said she's not aggressive so I think the harness will be fine." 

Gary had two in his hand. A black one and a purple one. It looked like he was doing a silent eeny meeny miney moe in his head, after a few seconds later he put the purple one in the cart. Simon didn't realize how much you needed for an animal, hell he never really had one. And he never considered the snakes his father use to bring home as pets. But he was looking forward to having Honey. Once they got home, they set up everything for Honey's arrival. As soon as that was done they were off to the shelter. 

xXx

Gary and Simon were waiting in a room to meet Honey. Gary was pacing with excitement while Simon patiently waited in the chair. As soon as the door opened Gary stopped his pacing and quickly sat down next to Simon. One of the staff walked in with Honey. She was even better in person. She had a little white on her snout and paws but the rest was on her belly. And the rest of her was covered in brown fur. 

"Hey girl, come here." said Gary in his baby voice. 

Simon smiled at the baby talk. But neither of them expected Honey to walk right over to Simon and sit between his knees and rest her head on his thigh. Gary gave Simon a smile, she was definitely the one. Simon started to pet her head. She looked up to him with loving eyes. The only other person who gave him those were Gary. 

"Hey girl. You're gonna come home with us alright." said Simon in the best baby voice he could muster up. Honey started to wag her tail and she got up to give him a few kisses. Simon let out a small laugh. Maybe Gary was right all along. 

Gary was doing the paperwork on making Honey officially theirs. While Simon played with her in the entrance of the shelter. He was already loving having her around. Once Gary was all set and done they headed home. Honey sat on Simon's lap on the drive home with her head sticking out of the window. When they got home and Gary opened the front door, she was a little hesitant on going inside, until Simon walked in that is. 

Gary and Simon sat on the stools near the counter and let Honey sniff around the place and get use to it. They were already getting accustomed to hearing her pitter patter on the hardwood floor. Then she found her toy box and pulled out one of the squeaky toys and brought it Simon. The rest of the day they both played with Honey and even went on a nice long evening walk. The day wore all three of them out and once bedtime came, Honey laid down in between Simon and Gary and they all drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yay, finally an update. Sorry for such a long wait, I'm still having writers block for this. But I hope you enjoy!

Simon was woken up by something wet on his face. When he opened his eyes, Honey was standing on the bed licking his face. He groaned and tried to hide his face, which only made Honey dig at the blanket and whine when she couldn't get at him. 

When Gary heard the whining he walked into the bedroom to see Simon hiding under the covers and Honey pawing at his back. He leaned against the doorway and watched for a few moments. It was cute to see Honey take to Simon so quickly, and Gary was happy he'll have a companion when he was at work. 

Another moment passed before Simon threw the covers off him and huffed. It made Gary laugh seeing him all flustered. Honey went back to licking his face, Simon was defeated and he knew it. It went on for some time before he had to push Honey off of him and sit up. 

"I need to breath Honey." He said through panted breaths. 

He got out of bed and got dressed in his work out gear. Gary would be leaving for work soon and that was the time he started his work out. A run through a park and then some weight lifting. He wanted to stay in shape, and now that he had a running buddy, it made things a little easier. 

When Simon pulled on his shirt he noticed Gary wasn't in the room anymore. He shrugged it off and headed down stairs with Honey following behind. When he made it to the kitchen he saw Gary looking at the newspaper and had a coffee in his hand. 

Simon gave him a kiss on the cheek, then grabbed a cup himself. He poured his coffee, then added some cream and sugar. He took a sip and stared at Gary with a smile on his face. He was wearing black slacks and a white button down shirt, and to Simon he looked ravishing. 

He walked around him and took a seat in front of him. Glancing at the newspaper, he didn't see much that was entertaining enough to read. He set his coffee down and got up to grab something to eat. He wasn't in the mood for cooking, so cereal it was. When he got his bowl he sat back down. 

"That was quite the cute show with you and Honey earlier." Gary smirked at him, then took a sip of his coffee. 

"I'm sure it was. I was nearly suffocated by a bloody dog." He glanced over at Honey who was lying down by the door. Her ears were perked up by her name being called. 

Gary laughed and went back to reading the paper while Simon ate his cereal. Once he was done he put the empty bowl and spoon in the sink. Gary looked at his watched, then tossed the newspaper down. "Shit if I don't leave now I'll be late for work." 

He dumped the rest of his coffee down the drain, the headed for the door. They said their goodbyes and Gary was out the door, leaving Simon and Honey alone for the day. Simon walked over and grabbed Honey's collar and harness. She quickly got on her paws and walked over to him wagging her tail. 

"Let's go for a little run, whaddya say Honey?" She didn't answer him, just wagged her tail some faster. 

There was a park only a 10 minute walk from their house. He decided to not jog there like he normally would, knowing it would tire the pup out faster. Honey was well leashed train, not tugging on it when she saw a squirrel or a bird. It made things a little easier for him, though he was strong enough to hold her back if need be. 

It looked to be an overcast day. The sun was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't stop people from going out. When they got to the park Simon could see at least 30 people in the park. Some with their friends, some with their dogs. He started to pick up the pace and jog for a bit. 

Honey kept up perfectly. After jogging for around 15 minutes he went back to walking. The clouds looked to be getting darker, which cut his run short. Deciding it was best to head home before getting rained on. They made it back to their house just as it started to downpour. 

Simon and Honey were only a few house away and decided to run before getting soaked. He ruffled his wet hair, then grabbed his keys from his pocket. Unlocking the door, he opened it and Honey went right in. Simon stopped abruptly when he felt droplets of water hit him. 

He looked down at Honey who was shaking herself dry. "Thanks for that." 

Simon unclip the leash and took her harness off. Putting it back on the hook near the door. "Well it's just you and me. Why don't we throw a party while Gary's gone, that sounds fun." 

Honey yawned and walked over to the couch. She climbed up on it, then curled into a ball. Simon sighed and scratched his head. He looked back over at her to see her eyes were closed. He walked over and sat down next to her. Grabbing the remote to turn the tv on. Today was going to be a long day.


End file.
